Combination luminous and acoustical ceiling



Patented Nov. 17, 1953 COMBINATION LUMINOUS AND ACOUSTICAL CEILING Herbert L. Beckwith, Cambridge, Mass, assignor to The F. W. Wakefield Brass Company, Vermilion, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June 22, 1949, Serial No. 100,740

6 Claims. 1

The present improvements relate to combinaticn luminous and acoustical ceiling constructions in which illuminating and sound-absorbing means are incorporated for illuminating the room or other space beneath such ceiling and for deadening sounds in such room.

An object of the present invention is to render luminous the entire ceiling, or such portion thereof as may be desired, by the use of a suitable source of illumination located above the ceiling, which may be disposed so as to serve either as a direct or an indirect source of light and at the same time the ceiling is of such construction as to act as a sound deadening medium without affecting its function as a light transmitting medium or means of illumination.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawing setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. l is a bottom plan view, more or less diagrammatic in character, of a luminous and acoustical ceiling embodying my present improvements with a portion of the ceiling broken away to illustrate the light source thereabovc;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of such ceiling showing the manner in which it is suspended from the ceiling proper and attached to the adjacent side walls bounding the ceiling proper;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary and enlarged perspective View of a portion of the luminous and acoustical ceiling construction of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a similar fragmentary perspective view of a modification; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective View of a light-diffusing panel having small perforations therethrough whereby when the entire luminous ceiling is composed of such panels, ventilating air may flow uniformly into or from the room space beneath such ceiling.

As indicated, my improved ceiling construction as shown in bottom plan view in Fig. 1 is designed to be suspended a suitable distance below the main or permanent ceiling I (Fig. 2). As a matter of convenience, the novel features which are comprised in the ceiling proper will be described in connection with the type of lighting fixture designed to provide a direct light source as illustrated in Fig. 2. Where direct illumination is desired, the fluorescent tubes 2 or equiva lent light elements will be supported preferably in pairs closely adjacent the permanent ceiling I, the opposite ends of said tubes being mounted in suitable sockets carried by the arms 3 which extend in opposite directions from each fixture 4. As shown, said fixtures 4 are arranged in parallel rows extending lengthwise of the permanent ceiling I, the fixtures comprising each row being disposed in longitudinally aligned, end-to-end relation.

Also attached to the permanent ceiling I so as to depend downwardly therefrom intermediate the rows of fixtures 4 are parallel series or rows of aligned hanger rods or equivalent support members 5. As best shown in Fig. 3, longitudinally extending rows of acoustical baffles 6 are supported by said hanger rods 5 in parallel relation as for example .by the hooks l at the lower ends of the rods hooked through apertures adjacent the upper edges of the baflles.

Secured to the side walls bounding the permanent ceiling l are longitudinally extending members or filler strips 8 of which one pair is preferably parallel to the bafiles 6.

The acoustical bailles 8 are disposed vertically and each preferably comprises a perforated casing or shell 9 of metal, plastic, or other relatively stifi material, providing horizontally extending ledges or rails [0 upon which the hereinafter described light diffusing panels I2 are adapted to laterally rest. The opposite side faces of said casing 9 are inclined from vertical and are connected together at their lower edges by a relatively narrow web portion l3. Within said casing 9 and spaced from the walls thereof is a body ll of sound absorbent material. Said baffles are made in convenient lengths and are of trapezoidal transverse cross-section with the opposite nonparallel side faces inclined slightly from vertical as shown both for superior light reflective and sound absorbent properties. In other words, said bellies 6 are tapered in transverse cross-section form, their upper edges contiguous with the panel margins to the lower edges thereof, as a result of which the sides of the baiiies lie at oblique angles to the panels. The light-reflecting surfaces provided by the sides of the baffles accordingly serve the more effectively to conceal the rails I0 whereon the margins of the light-diffusing panels are supported.

An acoustical bafile 5 of the character de scribed when fabricated from sheet metal for example will not affect the sound deadening properties thereof when the casing 9 is repainted as is the case with known acoustical panels which are formed simply by compressing fibrous material into panel form.

As previously indicated, the light diffusing panels l2 laterally rest upon the ledges Ill of the baffles 6, and the panels i2 which are adja cent to the side walls of the rcomspace are supported by the filler strips 23 which are secured to and project laterally from such side walls.

The light diffusing panels it illustrated in l 1-3 are fabricated as from translucent plastic or like material and may be relatively thin and formed with corrugations or ribs for imparting thereto the necessary strength characteristics. Said panels l2 are preferably made in convenient lengths to facilitate installation and removal thereof.

In the form of the invention ill rated in'Fig. i the luminous or secondary ceiling comprises egg-crate type louver panels i l laterally resting upon the bailles 6 and spanning or closing the spaces tlierebetween. Otherwise, the construction illustrated in 4 is the same as that illustrated in Figs. 1-3.

From the foregoing description i that by providing a secondary I of light diilusing panels, very and yet effective form of luminous coil for a reel. like space is provided. The construction fur more is such that access to the lig ting which are normally completely enclo. mi and hidden by such luminous ceiling may be readily had since the latter is made up of panels I2 or M, which may be, the supporting means at any poir. 1 and then returned to proper place.

Also it will be seen that by supporting such component light diffusing panels on vertically disposed acoustical bellies '3 which extend downwardly from such panels, opposite side faces of said bafiles will be illuminated through the light difiusing panels llor it. and when the c. ing is viewed at anyangle horizontal between zero and angle it aid bailles will conceal the panels from direct view and therefore only the low brightnessof the reflected light from the side faces of the baffles will be visible. Moreover, because the bottom web portions of the baifles re relatively narr w, the fact that such portions are unilluminated does not noticeably detract from the desired effect of continuous, overall illumination.

With luminous and acoustical ceilings a just described sound waves reflect by the secondary ceiling when composed of he diffusing panels H? as illustrated in .ctively dead "ned or absorbed by the se s of b' es. said ballies further functioning aforesaid to re-llect light passing through the panels. On the other hand, when the secondary ceiling is coinpcsedot louver panels I 4, sound waves w ;li pass t. :ougl'i such ceiling will be reflected from the permanent ceiling 1 against the acoustical battles ii, In the latter case it may be desirable thoughnot saryto include sounthabsorbing means in the space between the permanent and louvered ceilings such as acoustical tile secured to the permanent ceiling l.

The forms of the invention herein disclosed are. of course, to be regarded merely typical, it being understood that the lighting fixtures 4 might be arranged in other than parallel rows and longitudinally aligned end-to-end relation as shown. In View of the space provided between the light source and the light diiiusing panels, a rather complete diffusion or light results below the luminous ceiling, thus making it pose is to organize the fixture layout to best satisi uniform distribution and the particular shape of the room space. Furthermore, the acoustical baffles 6 may be of rectangular or other cross-section if desired.

As a'further' modification, the light difluslng panels I2 may be perforated as illustrated Fig. 5, to provide a perforate luminous ceiling for discharge of ventilating air into the room space below the luminous ceiling, the space between the, permanent and luminous ceilings thus 1'unctioning as a plenum chamber. if desired, suitable ductwork [5 for the ventilating system may be supported as from the permanent ceiling l with its outlet l5 spaced above the panels l2 asnotto obstruct the overall, dii'lused i11ll1llll1l1- tion afforded by the luminous ceiling and arranged tosupply air into such plenum chamber whereby the ventilating air is uniformly a sad into the room space through the small judiciously located perforations il in the li diffusing, panels I2. ()bviously, the duct l2.) may be arranged to exhaust air from the space above the luminous ceiling, in which event, air will flow upwardly from the room space through said perforations ll.

A still further modification for facilitating leveling of the luminous ceiling is to make the hanger rods 5 adjustable in length, as ior ex ample, by means of turnbuckles (Flee 4.)

Other modes of applying the principle or the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such, be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In an overhead sound series of ligl'rt-diffusing panels rally coextensive with the ceiling area, i r suspending said panels from the ceiling in approximately parallel relaticn thereto, said means including horizontally extending rails aligned with juxtaposed margins of panels, and elongated acousticalbafiles also carried by said panel suspending means, said bafiles lying in close underlying relation to adjacent mar of said panels, said bailles comprising bodi oi sound absorbing material providing light reflecting surfaces whereby said-rails are concealed.

2. In an overhead sound absorbing light shielding structure designed to be disposed beneath: the ceiling proper and overhead lighting means of a room space, the combination of a series or" light-difiusing panels substantially coextensive-with the ceiling area, means for suspending said panels irom the ceiling in spaced, approximately parallel relation thereto, said means including horizontally extending rails aligned with juxtaposed margins of said panels, and elongated acoustical bafiles also carried by said panel suspending means, said baffles lying in close underlying relation to adjacent margins of said panels, said bafiies comprising bodies of sound absorbing material providing light reilectingv surfaceswhereby said rails are concealed,

said baffles being tapered in transverse crosssection from their upper edges contiguous with said panel margins to the lower edges thereof, whereby the sides thereof lie at oblique angles to said panels.

3. In an overhead sound absorbing and light shielding structure designed to be disposed beneath the ceiling proper and overhead lighting means of a room space, the combination of a series of light-diffusing panels substantially coextensive with the ceiling area, means for suspending said panels from the ceiling in spaced, approximately parallel relation thereto, said means including hanger rods and horizontally extending rails carried by said rods in alignment with juxtaposed margins of said panels, and elongated acoustical baffles also carried by said panel suspending means, said baffles lying in close underlying relation to adjacent margins of said panels, said baffles comprising bodies of sound absorbing material providing light reflecting surfaces whereby said rails are concealed, said baffles being tapered in transverse crosssection from their upper edges contiguous with said panel margins to the lower edges thereof, whereby the sides thereof lie at oblique angles to said panels.

4. In an overhead light shielding structure designed to be disposed beneath the ceiling proper and overhead lighting means of a room space, the combination of a series of light-diffusing panels substantially co-extensive with the ceiling area, means for supporting said panels beneath the ceiling in spaced, approximately parallel relation thereto, said means including horizontally extending rails aligned with juxtaposed margins of said panels, said structure being formed with a relatively large number of small openings distributed over the entire structure for air flow between the space above and the room space below said structure, and an air duct opening into the space above said structure effective to establish pressure in such space different from that in the room space whereby air flows uniformly through such openings of said structure, said air duct being clear of the panels therebeneath whereby to avoid obstruction of the overall, diffused illumination of the room space below said structure as aiforded by said light-diffusing panels.

5. In an overhead light shielding structure designed to be disposed beneath the ceiling proper and overhead lighting means of a room space, the combination of a series of light-diffusing panels substantially co-extensive with the ceiling area, means for supporting said panels beneath the ceiling in spaced, approximately parallel relation thereto, said means including horizontally extending rails aligned with juxtaposed margins of said panels, said structure being formed with a relatively large number of small openings distributed over the entire structure for air flow between the space above and the room space below said structure, and an air supply duct opening into the space above said structure effective to discharge air into such space whereby such space constitutes a plenum from which the air is uniformly discharged through such openings of said structure into the room space below said structure, said air duct being clear of the panels therebeneath whereby to avoid obstruction of the overall, diiiused illumination of the room space below said structure as afforded by said light-diffusing panels.

6. In an overhead ventilating and light shielding structure designed to be disposed beneath the ceiling proper and overhead lighting means of a room space, the combination of a lightdiifusing sub-ceiling substantially co-extensive with the area of the ceiling proper and means for supporting said sub-ceiling in spaced, approximately parallel relation to the ceiling proper, said sub-ceiling being composed of light transmitting sheets and being provided with openings therethrough which are uniformly distributed over the entire sub-ceiling area and which in the aggregate occupy but a minor fractional portion of the sub-ceiling area as a whole, and an air duct opening into the space above said sub-ceil" ing effective to establish an air pressure in such space different from that in the room space whereby air flows uniformly through the openings in said sub-ceiling, said air duct being clear of said sub-ceiling and out of the path of downward light rays from said lighting means to insure such overall, diffused ventilation and to avoid obstruction of such overall, diffused illumination.

HERBERT L. BECKWITI-I.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,740,229 Dorey Dec. 17, 1929 1,826,133 Hatch Oct. 6, 1931 1,937,177 Villadsen et al. Nov. 28, 1933 1,956,773 Pflueger May 1, 1934 1,962,648 Pflueger June 12, 1934 2,153,242 Dreyfuss Apr. 4, 1939 2,160,638 Bedell et al May 30, 1939 2,189,008 Kurth Feb. 6, 1940 2,218,992 Munroe Oct. 22, 1940 2,390,262 Mazer Dec. 4, 1945 2,398,507 Rolph Apr. 16, 1946 2,502,016 Olson Mar. 28, 1950 2,502,017 Beers Mar. 28, 1950 2,527,031 Rambusch Oct. 24, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 17,277 Great Britain May 25, 1911 530,328 Great Britain Dec. 10, 1940 593,235 Great Britain Oct. 10, 1947 OTHER REFERENCES Amick Louverall Ceilings-A New Lighting Technique; Pub. in Electrical Construction and Maintenance; August 1947; pgs. 57, 58, 59 and 85, (Copy in Div. 65.) 

